Before I embark on some major catalog writing for the current curatorial project, "Fractions," I had to do one blog about the television show, Lost. I have followed the television creator, J.J. Abrams, from the shows Felicity to Alias and I have loved them all - Lost being my absolute favorite, hands down. J.J. decided to end Lost at season 6, since the latter shows did kind of drag on. Lost seems to be created by a larger design, as if they already knew what the ending would be when they first began writing the pilot episode.
The final episodes (4 to be exact) are upon us, and I wonder if everything will come together like pieces of a puzzle -six years in the making. Will all of our questions be answered? I'm pretty sad about the end since I only began watching the show during season 4, in 2007-2008 where episodes like "The Constant" defined the heart of the show - fate vs. free will, and of course time travel. I did some major catching up during the summer of 2008, but it would have been great if I discovered it earlier. The end is coming too soon and it still does not feel like enough time to tie all the stories together with a pretty little bow that will satisfy every fan - which is fine since I don't really like bows. If its left open ended, I'd be content with that too.
In the first season, Locke described the game of backgammon holding up a black and white piece to represent the whole premise of the show where dualities would be reflected in people and situations. Earlier episodes have shown that a con man (Sawyer) and a fugitive (Kate) could still have a heart, by acting compassionately toward their fellow survivors of Oceanic Flight 815. A spinal surgeon, (Jack) as talented and resourceful as he is suffers from a controlling god complex, thinking everyone he 'saves' owes him their life. Perhaps the island was a new chance for many of them, to disregard their past life and embrace their fresh, new start.
The best episode of this season (6) was "Ab Aeterno," which is Latin for "from eternity." The phrase is used to mean "since the beginning" or "for long ages." Questions about the mysterious Richard Alpert are answered about his inability to age, and his history. It also showed a second scene between Jacob and the man in black - probably my favorite because as much as they hate each other, they still can be polite and greet each other with "good morning" or "hello." They are respectively and appropriately dressed in black and in white. Its seems to be a civil opposition since they can't seem to kill each other on the spot. Like the game of chess, they can only defeat each other through strategic movements. As much as I wish season 6 episodes were like "Ab Aeterno," each episode showed through flash sideways (since we've already had flashbacks and flashforwards), characters were destined to meet regardless if Ocean flight 815 crashed or not. It was destiny for Claire and Kate to meet, just like it was destiny for Sawyer to meet Kate a second time stating that "it looks like someone is trying to be bring us together," in the last episode, "The Last Recruit."
I've read several theories (not spoilers!) on how the show will end, pointing to Jack, as the Candidate, the one to take Jacob's place as the protector of the island. The last episode made me think that Jack would possibly join the darkside, but then I realized, there could be a rumble, a true showdown between good and evil, the former man of god and the man of science. "Flocke" (Fake Locke) as they have been referring to the "Man in Black"/smoke monster in the blogsphere, may have the power to manipulate Jack just by speaking to him, as he had done with Claire and Sayid, but his powers have yet to work on Sawyer, Kate, or Miles. Perhaps potential candidates are immune to his powers.
This is my theory. If Lost is this huge, eternal chess game, then two individuals would be left to represent the light side and the dark side - the light constantly working to keep the dark from leaving the island. The game would 'reset' and old players and new players will be brought in for another round. As Eloise Hawkins has said in "The Constant," the universe has a way of 'course correcting' itself, so whoever the players are cannot escape their fate. It certainly feels like the Lost candidates never really had free will in the first place if everything they did was contigent upon a chance meeting and touch by Jacob. I hope they explain the implications of Jacob's touch, besides the explanation that it makes them candidates.
The cliffside cave earlier this season revealed potential candidates to take Jacob's place and protect the island:
8 - Reyes
15 - Ford
16 - Jarrah
23 - Shephard
42 - Kwon
I have this strange feeling that they might all end up staying on the island, because what kind of life will they really return to if so much of their fate was devoted to this mystical and magical place? Jack couldn't seem to leave in the last episode showing how the former "man of science," has evolved into someone that believes in fate and destiny. Perhaps some of them will feel the desire to protect this place as Jacob had.
Do you have any thoughts or theories? No spoilers please, since I'm anti-spoilage. Just your personal thoughts and theories. Post them here. :)
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